TastyDays

A legume in botanical writing is a plant in the family Fabaceae, or a fruit of these specific plants. A ‘legume’ fruit is a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces on two sides. A common name for this type of fruit is a pod, although “pod” is also applied to a few other fruit types, such as vanilla. Well-known legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soy, and peanuts.